Bandai Namco announced Tekken 8 earlier this week, and we recently got a chance to sit down with lead producer Katsuhiro Harada to talk about the anticipated sequel in a wide-ranging interview. Here's five things we learned while talking to Harada.

Yes, Tekken 8 Will Use Unreal Engine 5

After some questions from fans, Harada confirmed that Tekken 8 is indeed be developed in Unreal Engine 5. The shift brings with it a host of benefits, such as the ability to have sweat and rain actually roll down a character's face during a fight. Indeed, it's being rebuilt from the ground up to take advantage of the new technology.

"We've been working closely with Epic to figure out how to optimize some of those processes for input. So we're just starting and it's going to continue from now on," Harada says.

Collaborating with Smash Bros. Creator Masahiro Sakurai "was quite a shock"

Last year, Tekken's Kazuya Mishima made his way to Super Smash Bros. courtesy of Sakurai and Harada. The experience was "quite a shock," Harada says.

"He had already had his own thoughts about what makes 'Tekken Tekken.' So it was surprising but also refreshing to see that he came in and didn't ask questions, but said, 'I've played a lot of Tekken and studied it, and this is what I feel is important for the game,' right off the bat," Harada says.

It left him feeling that Sakurai might be the only who can "properly make" a game like Super Smash Bros.

No, the Tekken 8 Team Isn't Ready to Talk About Rollback Netcode

Rollback Netcode is a popular topic within the fighting game community, as it has the potential to greatly impact a game's multiplayer. Will Tekken 8 have it? It's still early to say one way or another, according to Tekken 8's development team, meaning fans will have to wait.

Announcing First on Console is "Quite Notable"

Tekken is one of the biggest arcade holdouts, with Namco Bandai consistently pushing standup versions of the fighting series before releasing enhanced versions on console later. Harada isn't ready to talk about an arcade release, but he does categorize it being announced first on console as "quite notable."

"What we can say is that this is the first time in the history of the series that we've announced a console version first. So that in itself is quite notable. And that's all we can say at this point," Harada says.

Harada Would Consider Adding Guest Characters Again

Guest characters were a notable part of Tekken 7, with Noctis, Geese Howard, Akuma, and The Walking Dead's Negan. It was a departure for the series, but one that Harada ultimately considers to be a positive.

"I brought up that working with [Yasuyuki Oda] from SNK and how we had him on our panel at Comic-Con one year and that building those relationships is also a really cool part of working with other companies. It's obviously something that we enjoy doing, and if the fans enjoy it, it's something that we would consider again. That's as far as we can go," Harada says.

He also talked about what it was like to have Oda introduce himself to Bandai Namco's president and start pointing out characters like Akuma, which you can read about in the final article. Beyond that, Harada talks about a host of topics, delving into topics such as the Rage system, slow-motion, and the overall arc of the story.

Tekken 8 is in development for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PS5. It does not yet have a release date.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

Tekken's Katsuhiro Harada is no stranger to Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai. After all, Sakurai was a regular sight at Bandai Namco, which played a large role in developing Super Smash Bros.

Towards the end of Smash Bros' development, Harada and Sakurai worked together on adding Kazuya Mishima as a Smash Bros. DLC character. Asked whether he gained any insight from the experience for Tekken 8, Harada used the opportunity to praise Sakurai, calling it "quite a shock."

"We knew quite well what to expect and his personality," Harada told IGN in the first exclusive interview for Tekken 8. "And even that said, we were also surprised when it came time to make Kazuya for Smash Brothers, because we thought since we're the experts at Tekken, maybe he was going to ask about the points he needed to definitely get right to make it feel like Tekken, but actually that wasn't the case. He already had his own thoughts about what makes 'Tekken Tekken.'

So it was surprising but also refreshing to see that he came in and didn't ask questions, but said, 'I've played a lot of Tekken and studied it, and this is what I feel is important for the game,' right off the bat. So that was quite a shock, I mean in a positive way."

Harada says that the experience left him feeling as if Sakurai was the only one qualified to make Super Smash Bros. — a sentiment that Sakurai himself has shared at points despite concerns for his health amid a grueling schedule.

"It made us think that he has all these characters from other different franchises and games in Smash Brothers, so to know so much to a deep extent about all of these different IPs to be able to do that… he's probably the only one that could properly make that game," Harada says. "In creating Tekken series we always look at various different fighting games or other games outside the genre and think about what to maybe draw from that experience. But he just went so much deeper on all of them, we thought there's still a lot we can learn ourselves from different products outside of Tekken by looking at his example."

Kazuya was ultimately released in Smash Bros. on June 29, where he quickly became a popular fighter. Elsewhere, Harada has been steadily working on Tekken 8, which was announced earlier this week during Sony's State of Play stream.

Tekken 8 is ultimately a very different game from Super Smash Bros., but the two do share at least one major similarity: an embrace of guest characters, which Harada has characterized as a positive experience. Harada also talks about the shift to Unreal Engine 5, the state of fighting games as a whole, and more in the wide-ranging interview.

Tekken 8 is currently under development for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PS5. It does not yet have a release date.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

From Goku to Spider-Man, guest characters have become a mainstay in modern online games. Nevertheless, the addition of characters such as The Walking Dead's Negan raised more than a few eyebrows among fans, not the least because it relies so heavily on its rich storyline for its appeal.

But looking back on the move during an exclusive first interview with IGN following the reveal of Tekken 8, chief producer Katsuhiro Harada says that he's glad he brought Noctis, Akuma, and company into the series.

"We were quite happy with the results," Harada says. "When we first announced guest characters, the fans were just so shocked, both good and bad. But just that reaction that they got from first seeing it was really satisfying. It was ultimately a win for us because they did quite well. It was a win for the fans because they got something brand new and different for the series, and it was a win for the IP owners because they saw what we made and they saw the reactions from the fans and they were really happy about the results of it. So I think everyone in general, all around, was quite happy with the guest characters and how they turned out for Tekken 7."

Unfortunately for Harada, the decision to add guest characters led to him being temporarily supplanted by his counterpart at SNK, Yasuyuki Oda.

"The president of our company, [Yasuo Miyakawa]... it was his first time ever going to EVO in Las Vegas. He had one of those box areas, the VIP seating, and we were watching the first match of the game. Normally I would sit next to him and explain the players, the characters they were using, the strategy, et cetera," Harada remembers."

"But it was funny because at that same time, just out of the blue, [Yasuyuki Oda], who used to work at Capcom…he was at our VIP area and he sat down with the president and said, 'Hey, I'm Oda, nice to meet you.' And then he sat down and instead of me explaining what's going on, he was pointing out Akuma from Street Fighter, Geese from the SNK series, etc. So he was quite entertained to see that, but it was like, wow, that's one of the things you have to watch out for with guest characters I suppose."

Despite Oda's sneaky attempt to temporarily replace him, Harada is willing to consider bringing back guest characters for Tekken 8.

"We're not talking about wanting the guest characters to hang around for Tekken 8, but in general – not even just for Tekken, but in general – it is something that we are really happy we did because it's good to get that kind of motivation from working with some new material and also just the connections that you make with other people in doing so," Harada says.

"I brought up that working with Oda-san from SNK and how we had him on our panel at Comic-Con one year and that building those relationships is also a really cool part of working with other companies. It's obviously something that we enjoy doing, and if the fans enjoy it, it's something that we would consider again. That's as far as we can go."

Seems like Harada can look forward to more unexpected appearances from Oda in the future. In the meantime, guest characters continue to thrive in online games, with Destiny and many other games following Fortnite's lead in that area.

Harada's comments were part of a wide-ranging interview with IGN in which he shared fresh details about Tekken 8 as well as his thoughts on the fighting game genre as a whole. He also talks about topics like the Rage system, whether or not he has an end in mind for the series, and lots more.

Tekken 8 is coming to the Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PS5. It does not yet have a release date.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

Activision and Infinity Ward have announced the first details for Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0, the successor to the incredibly popular battle royale. Among the major changes are a new AI faction that will be present during matches and a new approach to the genre’s staple circle mechanic.

Warzone 2.0 will be a “fully revamped experience” built from the ground up, specifically for new-generation systems, in the new Modern Warfare 2 engine. It will launch on November 16, a couple of weeks after Modern Warfare 2’s release, and will remain a free-to-play game.

Rather than a return to Verdansk or Caldera, Warzone 2.0’s map is set in the desert of Al Mazrah, a fictional region of Western Asia. The map will be made up of a number of locations, which for the first time will be populated by an AI faction. Infinity Ward hopes that adding some PvE to Warzone will “bring the world of Al Mazarah to life” and add “higher stakes and more realistic combat scenarios”.

Further changes come through the shrinking circle mechanic, which has now been changed to use multiple circles. No details were given on how this works, but multiple circles are said to “change end-game scenarios”, suggesting that there may be multiple ways that the circle behaves.

Warzone’s key differentiating feature, the respawn mechanic that is the Gulag, will also return in a new form. Gulag 2.0 ups the battles from 1v1 to 2v2, and will require players to loot for weapons and contend with a character called “The Jailer”. Again, no more details were provided, but it sounds like this core mechanic will be at least a little different than we’re used to.

It’s not clear if Warzone will include modes like Rebirth, but we do know it will have at least two modes at launch: the classic battle royale and something called DMZ, which is described only as “an all-new sandbox experience”.

Warzone will not just be on console and PC, though. Call of Duty Warzone: Mobile is also in the works, and will bring 120-player battle royale to iOS and Android phones and tablets in 2023. While not exactly a portable version of Warzone 2.0, it does share some tech, and even has a shared Battle Pass and social features to ensure coherence between the two versions. It will also have mobile-specific events, playlists, and content.

While there’s no sign of a Warzone beta, you can at least sample 32v32 player battles in this weekend’s Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer open beta. If single-player is more your speed, digital pre-orders get access to the campaign a week early.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Features Editor.

Activision and Infinity Ward have revealed a number of new features coming to multiplayer in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, including a third-person playlist and a 3v3 Raid mode.

While Modern Warfare 2 will primarily be a first-person shooter, there will be “third person playlists” designed to offer “a new tactical way to play multiplayer”. Third person perspective offers a much larger field of view and thus better vision of your surroundings, something that could be a big change for COD’s classic multiplayer.

Another new mode is Raid, a 3v3 mode with a focus on team communication and coordination. This mode will not be available at launch, but is coming before the end of 2022.

Special Ops, the two-player co-op mode, is being revamped with “large-scale hot zones”. Infinity Ward has yet to elaborate on any other changes being made, but hopefully it expands the mode beyond what was delivered in 2019’s Modern Warfare (as it was arguably the weakest part of the package).

Gunsmith, the weapon customisation system, has been improved to allow “unprecedented opportunities for customization”. The interface will also allow smoother swaps between weapons, so hopefully that means we won’t be cycling through five different menus just to apply a silencer.

Finally, the Ricochet anti-cheat system that protects Call of Duty has been built on a new unified security platform, which Activision says will allow the team to update the system more frequently.

The upcoming open beta, which begins on September 16 on PlayStation and September 22 on Xbox and PC, will offer the first look at Modern Warfare 2’s core 6v6 multiplayer across a variety of maps and modes. Featured will be the Spain-set Valderas Museum, a shoothouse-style map called Farm 18, and the marketplace inspired Mercado Las Almas. Team Deathmatch and Domination will both be present, but two new 6v6 modes will also be available to sample: Knockout, a no-respawns game type where you must hold a package to win, and Prisoner Rescue, a hostage-style mode similar to those seen in Rainbow Six Siege and Counter-Strike.

Ground War-scale maps will also be available in the beta, with support for 32v32 player counts. Invasion mode will see Deathmatch played at this scale, with additional AI combatants alongside regular players. Sarrif Bay, a map set in the Republic’s main port, will be the setting for the beta’s biggest matches.

To see how the game is shaping up, you’ll want to jump into this weekend’s Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer open beta. And if you’re excited for the single-player, digital pre-orders get access to the campaign a week early.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Features Editor.

Yakuza Ishin was first released in 2014, but it isn't until 2023 that western audiences will finally get to play the Yakuza spinoff. That's because the positive reception surrounding Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima gave Ryu Ga Gotoku the confidence to finally release Like a Dragon: Ishin to international audiences.

In an interview with Fanbyte, executive producer Masayoshi Yokoyama said, “We saw how well Ghost of Tsushima did, and how it was about this very Japanese setting made by Americans, so that gave us confidence Ishin could do well in America too.”

Yokoyama also noted that the success of Yakuza: Like a Dragon introduced the franchise to a new audience. The timing was just right as well. Many players never got to play the original version of Ishin back in 2014 when it was released on PlayStation 3 and 4 as it didn’t get localized outside of Japan.

The developers thought that the game’s traditional Japanese setting in the 1860s would’ve felt alien to international audiences, so they focused on localizing Yakuza 5 and Yakuza 0 instead. Ishin follows Sakamoto Ryoma, who is portrayed by series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu.

However, the Yakuza series, now going by the original Japanese title, Like a Dragon, has exploded in popularity, breathing new life into it. Due to Ghost of Tsushima’s success, Ryu Ga Gotoku decided to bring the Like a Dragon: Ishin remake to the west.

The game is set to release on February 21, 2023, for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @yinyangfooey

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has recommended beginning a second-phase investigation into Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, as it believes it could stifle competition in the video game industry in the region. Sony has responded that it welcomes the announcement of further investigation.

"By giving Microsoft control of Activision games like Call of Duty, this deal would have major negative implications for gamers and the future of the gaming industry," Sony said in a statement to GamesIndustry.biz. "We want to guarantee PlayStation gamers continue to have the highest quality gaming experience, and we appreciate the CMA’s focus on protecting gamers."

This comes after PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan called Xbox’s offer to extend Call of Duty’s availability on PlayStation platforms “inadequate” last week. Ryan says that the extension only would have lasted for three additional years after existing agreements expired. There is reportedly three Call of Duty games left to release on PlayStation under current contracts, which include this year’s Modern Warfare 2.

Xbox’s Phil Spencer noted that he still wanted to keep Call of Duty a multiplatform franchise, but it was unknown whether it’d be indefinitely. Xbox’s extension offer to PlayStation indicates that the franchise could become exclusive to Microsoft’s ecosystem eventually should the acquisition go through.

Spencer has also confirmed that future Call of Duty games would also come to Xbox Game Pass on the same day that they launch on PlayStation. This way, he argues, Call of Duty will be available to more gamers.

Despite the investigation, the Call of Duty series marches on as Activision is holding a Call of Duty Next event later today to reveal more about this year's release. You can watch the stream on IGN.

George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @yinyangfooey

Star Wars Eclipse will “keep the fundamentals” of Quantic Dream games, despite being an action-adventure at heart.

During an interview with IGN Japan, Quantic Dream CEO Guillaume de Fondaumiere confirmed that the studio’s upcoming Star Wars game woill retain what we've come to expect from the studio.

“I think with each new title we try to innovate, we try to explore new ground,” he explained. “With Star Wars Eclipse we're certainly going to keep the fundamental elements of a Quantic Dream game; very strong story, very strong characters, multiple playable characters, and of course, giving the players the possibility to change, through their actions and decisions, how the story unfolds.”

Star Wars: Eclipse was officially announced at The Game Awards 2021, with the game promising “action-adventure, multiple-character branching narrative game set in the High Republic era of the iconic Star Wars galaxy.”

However, Quantum Dream is better known for its story-driven fare, including Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls, and Detroit: Become Human. A first look at Star Wars: Eclipse featured lightsaber combat and some iconic Star Wars locations. However, it won’t just be a Star Wars twist on Quantic Dream’s formula.

“Where the formula is changing, we said very clearly we are doing an action-adventure, so the action elements are also going to be very important,” said de Fondaumiere. “This is something we'll be able to speak about in the future, but keep in mind, it's an action-adventure.”

Whether that means it’ll be losing those trademark quick-time events remains to be seen. Since the game’s announcement, little else has been revealed. However, delay rumors were quickly refuted – largely because a release date had never been announced.

“When we met with [Lucasfilm], we met with them because it was Star Wars,” said de Fondaumiere. “And because with David [Cage], we really wanted to do a Star Wars game, that particular franchise with whom we grew, we discovered, and were in awe of as children.”

“When we had the opportunity to work on Star Wars we said yes immediately because we were drawn to it,” added de Fondaumiere. “But we will continue to do what we do best, which is passionately work, craft our game with a lot of attention to detail, and with Star Wars Eclipse, we want to bring a whole new original story to the Star Wars universe.”

What that story will be, remains to be seen… and the recent trailer is our only glimpse of it so far. Want to read more about Star Wars: Eclipse? Check out the Star Wars: Eclipse cinematic trailer and find out what else was announced at The Game Awards 2021.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Amazon has announced Blade Runner 2099, a live-action TV sequel to the sci-fi classic, Blade Runner.

Per its title, the upcoming Blade Runner show will take place 50 years after the recent sequel, Blade Runner 2049, with showrunner Silka Luisa (Shining Girls) at the helm. Blade Runner director Ridley Scott and Blade Runner 2049 writer Michael Green will serve as executive producers. Tom Spezialy (The Leftovers) is the first to join the writer's room and will also executive produce.

“We are honored to be able to present this continuation of the Blade Runner franchise, and are confident that by teaming up with Ridley, Alcon Entertainment, Scott Free Productions, and the remarkably talented Silka Luisa, Blade Runner 2099 will uphold the intellect, themes, and spirit of its film predecessors,” said Amazon Studios head of global television, Vernon Sanders.

“We are beyond excited to continue to extend the Blade Runner canon into a new realm with the provocative storyline that Silka has created,” said Alcon Entertainment co-CEOs and co-founders Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson. "Audiences first discovered Ridley Scott’s brilliant vision for Blade Runner 40 years ago, and since then, it has become one of the most influential science-fiction films of all time. Denis Villeneuve’s follow-up sequel, Blade Runner 2049, then became one of the best-reviewed sequels of all time. So, we recognize that we have a very high bar to meet with this next installment. Together with Silka and our partners at Amazon, and Scott Free Productions, we hope that we can live up to that standard and delight audiences with the next generation of Blade Runner.”

Based on the 1982 sci-fi classic, Blade Runner 2099 will continue to expand the universe first created by Ridley Scott in Blade Runner. Starring Harrison Ford as Deckard, the titular Blade Runner, the film follows one man’s efforts to hunt down a gang of deadly replicants, while also facing questions about his own humanity.

Blade Runner 2099 has been on the cards for a while, with Ridley Scott previously confirming that a full plot outline had been written for the show.

“We have already written the pilot for Blade Runner and the bible,” he said late last year. “So, we’re already presenting Blade Runner as a TV show, probably the first 10 hours.”

Although an animated TV show, Blade Runner: Black Lotus, launched back last year, this project is the first live-action Blade Runner TV show. It’s currently unknown whether any characters from either Blade Runner or Blade Runner 2049 will return.

Want to read more about Blade Runner 2099? Check out Ridley Scott teasing the upcoming TV project and whether or not Dennis Villeneuve would make another Blade Runner sequel.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Players eager to get their hands on Street Fighter 6 may not have to wait too long as Capcom has announced the game is getting a closed beta in October.

Revealed during the publisher’s Tokyo Game Show presentation, players on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam can join the closed beta taking place from October 7 to 10.

Only a limited number of players can sign up and, while Capcom didn't share details on how many or how to do so, it did say that details would soon follow on Street Fighter 6's official website.

The beta appears to be pretty extensive, featuring a ton of modes including Ranked Match, Casual Match, Battle Hub Match, Open Tournament, the new Extreme Battle, Game Center, and Training Mode.

Tokyo Game Show has featured a ton of reveals so far, with Capcom also announcing that Ken, Blanka, Dhalsim, and E. Honda would be returning in Street Fighter 6.

The game was announced back in February, with new bits of information being released slowly but surely since. A gameplay trailer showed Chun-Li and Ryu in action alongside newcomer Luke, and Capcom later showed a way to mentally battle your opponents before the match.

Jamie and Guile were also confirmed to feature, and at EVO 2022 Capcom announced the return of Juri and first appearance of Kimberly, who comes with a moveset focused on fast-paced jabs and aerial kicks.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.